*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Throughout the years, we have explored many hobbies that begin with the letter "B": baking, baseball (watching a game), beadwork, beekeeping, bird watching, board games, bookmaking, bowling, and butterfly raising/releasing.
Baking
It has been fun watching the girls' skill level in baking increase throughout the years. At 7 years old, Sophia was decorating carrot-cake cupcakes for Easter with jellybeans. She formed them to create images of carrots.
March 23, 2008
By Easter 2017, when Sophia was 16 years old, she was baking her own two-layer cakes, working with fondant, gels, and rock candy to create a geode cake.
We did baking as part of homeschooling. Olivia worked on a cookbook for several years that corresponded with the Five in a Row books. She learned to bake a variety of dishes.
Bread made on June 1, 2008 and Hamburger and
Green Bean Casserole made on February 10, 2013
January 20, 2012
Marjorie, who is known locally as winning a considerable amount of ribbons at both her local county fair and the Minnesota State Fair, found out Olivia did some baking .She encouraged her to keep baking as she got older.
Baseball (watching a game)
We took Sophia to baseball games when she was just 1 1/2 to 2 years old.
She enjoyed going with us as her grandparents.
When we went to Boston, we were able to see where Fenway Park is located.
September 10, 2011
The girls were able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Target Field - where the Minnesota Twins play baseball for home games.
July 26, 2016
In August 2017, we were given tickets to a special seating area at the Target field. We also had access to a club section with indoor restaurants.
August 17, 2017
It was a fun and memorable way to watch a baseball game.
Beadwork
Beadwork and making jewelry started early. When the girls were young, they began with felted beads and would create necklaces and bracelets.
August 1, 2007
Sometimes we explored how nature and art connected - like with beads and autumn leaves.
October 9, 2007
There were practical ways of using beads and sequins - such as making bookmarks and Christmas tree ornaments.
Bookmark made on January 19, 2009.
Christmas tree ornament made on December 14, 2010.
We explored ways to incorporate beading into quilting. Projects like these became entries in the 4-H county fair.
July 14, 2010
There was beading done on looms with patterns that we followed.
July 10, 2011
Sophia did quite a bit of jewelry making in December 2013 - creating necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
It was something she enjoyed doing; and liked learning new patterns and creating different color combinations for the jewelry she made.
She sold some of it, gave some away as gifts, and kept others for herself.
Beekeeping
My dad was a beekeeper - both during his childhood as well as during his adulthood. Eventually, he got out of beekeeping and passed along the equipment to me.
Initially, I used the equipment as teaching tools. On March 23, 2009, I held a home economics class at the local homeschool co-op where we played a game about how a beehive worked and what it was like to bee a beekeeper.
The girls enjoyed playing games and trying the on beekeeping outfit.
Sophia was happy to be the Queen Bee...I think because she got to wear the crown.
She also enjoyed trying on the beesuit that belonged to my dad...her grandpa.
By the time Sophia was 14 years old, she had her own beehives and was managing them. She was able to hand-extract the honey which was especially rewarding.
August 22, 2015
July 3, 2016
June 26, 2015
She enjoyed showing them the equipment and clothing she wore when beekeeping; and giving them samples of honey after her presentation.
June 26, 2015
Although we don't have bees in 2018, we continue to plant flowers, bushes, and trees that honeybees and pollinators rely on. In this way, not only are we helping honeybees in our area, but we are helping the wild bees and other pollinators.
November 4, 2007
We fill the bird feeders around the backyard and front yard.
December 28, 2007
We had the privilege of watching raptors - especially eagles - up close.
July 19, 2010
We would check on the birds in the backyard and make she they were doing well.
July 25, 2010
One of the things that we were introduced to is indoor bird watching. There was an aviary in a bookstore in Stillwater, Minnesota. The aviary is not there any longer.
However, when my dad was in a nursing home during the final few months of his life, one of the things they had there was an aviary with finches. Olivia and my dad watched the birds one afternoon. They were colorful and unusual - not ones we typically see in the wild.
October 20, 2011Recently, we have been seeing eagles migrating back to Minnesota. On March 31, 2018, we saw four eagles circling in the near-distance; and then we saw three eagles flying together on Easter (April 1, 2018). Never before have we seen groups of eagles flying together. It's been an unusual and exciting experience seeing these majestic birds.
Board games
When the girls were younger, sometimes we would do "Game Days." They could pick whatever games they wanted to play, and we would play them together. On December 11, 2010, we played one of Olivia's favorite games: Connect 4.
We also played Life which was Sophia's choice.
For some of the holidays, we would play Bingo. Sophia is playing Valentine's Day Bingo below.
January 29, 2011
When we have had friends and family over, games often would be part of our time spent together. Yahtzee, Horseopoly, and trivia games were favorite ones to play with others.
September 13, 2012
We even brought some of our games to the nursing home to play games with the seniors.
It was fun teaching them new games; and being able to share something we loved to do with others.
February 7, 2014
Playing board and card games helped the day pass by a bit more quickly too.
Bookmaking was a fun hobby to explore - especially when we could incorporate it into some of our homeschooling lessons. One of the favorite books that the girls made was an autumn theme one. The book was covered in a piece of fabric that went over two pieces of cardboard (for the front- and back covers).
They added stickers, stories, and tactile elements to their books.
October 19, 2007
We learned how to make different types of books - like a three-quarters book. Olivia used this type of book to make a book about fairies.
November 29, 2007
Some of the books we made used everyday items - like brown bags. The girls also used household equipment - like an iron - to make it. So, they were learning new skills in operating household appliances while doing creative work.
January 3, 2008
Some books were easy to make - like ones that simply required some glue and paper folding.
July 26 ,2013
Nonetheless, the many different types of books that we have made throughout the years have provided a way to record memories that could have been lost had we not explored this hobby.
During the yearly years of bowling, when Olivia and Sophia were 6 and 8 years old respectively, the bowling ball would roll down the alley at a slow and steady pace. Bumpers were always up which guaranteed that at least one pin would fall down.
May 31, 2009
For many of Paige's birthdays we would go bowling. Often, we would go to Osceola Lanes. However, one year we went to a bowling alley in Oak Park Heights/Stillwater which was fun.
March 8, 2012
In 2014, we were introduced to bigger-than-life-bowling. The pins were half the size of Olivia.
March 7, 2014
The ball was the size of Sophia's (or any adult's) torso.
March 7, 2014
The girls enjoyed helping the seniors at the nursing home bowl and encouraged them with clapping and cheering as they bowled.
March 7, 2014
We recently went bowling. The bumpers are still up, though we all agreed that the next time we went bowling, we wouldn't use them.
March 8, 2018
Rarely does the ball his the bumper. The girls' bowling skills have improved a lot over the years.
March 8, 2018
It's fun to see how skills can improve when a hobby is pursued and practiced for many years.
Each Fall, we would go out the back part of the property and spread milkweed seeds. We would watch where the wind would take the seeds.
September 29, 2009
At the time, there were only a few milkweed plants at our farm. Now, there plants in all the pastures, backyard, and front yard. Needless to say, the monarch butterflies enjoy spending time at our farm.
After raising the caterpillars indoors in a monarch-raising cage, the butterflies would hatch. We would wait until the wings dried out before releasing the butterflies.
It was always a special time taking the butterfly out of its cage, having it rest on our hands, and then watch it fly off when it was ready.
August 31, 2007
Sometimes the butterflies came back to us and would land on us. It was always exciting when this happened. It was like a final "thank you" and one last "goodbye."
August 22, 2008
One of my favorite pictures is of a butterfly flying right in front of the girls. The awe they are feeling at what they are witnessing still makes me smile.
August 23, 2008
The collage below shows images from that butterfly release.
On July 4, 2011, the girls and I found four black swallowtail caterpillars on my parents' carrots in their garden. The girls were excited to see different caterpillars than the monarchs that they've raised. These are much bigger than monarchs.
It has been interesting to watch the life cycle of the monarch caterpillar. One year we had quite a few caterpillars that we found and there were monarchs in different life stages in the cage at the same time.
June 28, 2012
No matter the age of the girls, they continue to be fascinated with butterflies.
September 12, 2013
This may be a life-long hobby that they continue to enjoy into adulthood.
August 1, 2015
